Despite Egypt’s objection
The Nile River Agreement enters into force
A historic agreement between a number of Nile Basin countries on the “equitable and sustainable” management of the river’s waters has entered into force despite Egypt’s opposition, informed sources said.
The Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) has entered into force on Sunday after more than a decade of negotiations between the Nile Basin countries, according to the 10-nation Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC), which welcomed the “crucial moment.”
The Commission shared in a statement that the Agreement is a “Testament to our collective determination to exploit the Nile River for the benefit of all, and to ensure its equitable and sustainable use for future generations.”
According to the Commission, the (CFA) aims to “Correct historical imbalances in access to the Nile’s waters and ensure that all Nile Basin countries, both upstream and downstream, can benefit from this shared resource.”
Thus far, five of the Commission’s (10) member States have ratified the Agreement, which was reached in (2010) in Entebbe, Uganda. These countries are Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, while Egypt and Sudan rejected it.
Egypt has long-standing disputes with Ethiopia over the massive hydroelectric Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Addis Ababa has built on the Nile River.
Ethiopia considers this infrastructure essential for its development and to provide electricity to its population of (120) million citizens.
Egypt, which depends on the Nile River for (97%) of its water needs, continues to protest, citing a historical right to the river and considering the Renaissance Dam an “existential” threat.
Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sewilam stated on Sunday that “Not a single cubic meter of Nile water can be given up,” adding that Egypt “Will not recognize” the Agreement.
For his part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday that a summit of Nile River countries was scheduled to be held in Uganda on October 17th, but was postponed until early next year, declining to give a reason.
Media reports shared that the summit was postponed due to disagreements between the countries.
The Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC) includes Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, while Eritrea has observer status.
